1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ion generator in which air ionized by corona discharge is sprayed to an object required to be electrically neutralized.
2. Prior Art
To spray air ions to an electrically-charged body as an object required to be electrically neutralized and to electrically neutralize the object, an ion generator which is also referred to as “ionizer” or “charge neutralization apparatus” is used. In a manufacturing line for manufacturing and assembling electronic components, the ion generator is used for removing static electricity from the electronic components, manufacturing and assembling jigs and the like as the object. By spraying air ions to the object, foreign substances can be prevented from being attached to the electronic components and the like by the static electricity, and the electronic components can be prevented from being broken or attached to the jigs by the static electricity.
The ion generator used for a purpose such as this, as explained in Patent Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-138090, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-228069, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-40860, ionizes air by applying an alternating voltage between a discharge electrode and an opposite electrode and generating corona discharge around the discharge electrode with compressed air being supplied to the discharge electrode from outside.
In an ion generator described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-138090, air ions ejected from an air ejection port of a housing provided with a discharge electrode are supplied via a duct to the object which is arranged at a position away from the ion generator. In the ion generator described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-228069 and Japanese Patent No. 2006-40860, air ions are sprayed directly to the object from a nozzle provided with a discharge electrode.